Penn State Turfgrass Science

On Tuesday September 29th, the Penn State Turf Club welcomed guest speaker
Mike Mausolf to State College to share his golf course management experiences and knowledge with us. Mike is the Superintendent of the South Course at Oakland Hills Country Club in Michigan. For those that are unfamiliar with Oakland Hills, it is a top 20 ranked golf course, in the United States, with a very prestigious history and culture. Mike gave us great insight on what it takes to be a superintendent at a high level course, what to expect from the job, how one should conduct themselves professionally, and how to manage time and people efficiently. He also shared great insight on possible job and internship opportunities with Oakland Hills in the future. Mike gave a very well rounded and educating presentation. We want to extend our gratitude to him and Oakland Hills for allowing him to be here and help us grow as students. We wish you good luck with the 2016 U.S. Amateur! Thank you for becoming another great connection in the Penn State turf family Mike!

On Thursday April 23rd, Penn State hosted a guest speaker. Along with winning the Turf Bowl in San Antonio, Penn State Turf students were awarded a visit from world renown agronomist and golf course consultant, Lewis Sharp, for winning the Tee-2-Green Trivia Challenge. The reward from Mr. Sharp was an informational lecture that shared just a small portion of his vast amount knowledge in the seed and golf course industries. The turf club was informed on many of the precise, painstaking processes it takes to breed and grow different types of turf. Mr. Sharp also informed us on Penn State turf legend Dr. Joe Duich's footprint in the Tee-2-Green company and how his world famous Penncross seed is their leading seller. The meeting came to a close with the presentation of a plaque from Lewis to the turf club for winning. On behalf of the turf club, I would like to extend a huge thank you to Lewis for making the trip and taking the time to teach our students a little bit of what it takes to be successful.

On Tuesday April 21st, John Deere Golf hosted a celebration dinner for Penn State Turf Bowl Competitors, faculty, and Alumni at the Nittany Lion Inn. Alumni from Augusta National, Merion, Shelter Harbor, and Mountaintop were present. The evening kicked off with a small mixer where students and alumni met and talked turf. Before dinner, Tom Hannigan and Dave Plaster of John Deere recognized the alumni present and the success of the PSU turf teams. Three teams placed in the top ten capturing 1st, 3rd, and 9th place. After dinner, stories and memories generated laughs by all in attendance. The students presented Dr. Ben McGraw their advisor with a framed picture of the group and a card thanking him for his dedication. Many stories about the late Dr. Joe Duich were also told, demonstrating the incredible impact he had on his students. We want to extend a big thank you to John Deere for assembling a great group and evening, celebrating Penn State’s Turf Bowl success!

On Tuesday March 31, the Penn State Turf Club invited Beaver Stadium Groundskeeper Paul Curtis to come and speak at our meeting. Paul's task was to inform us on the many aspects of maintaining Beaver Stadiums football field and staff. Upholding the center piece of a football history this rich requires vigorous work, time, and dedication. After hearing what Paul had to say, it's easy to see that this is no easy task. Everywhere from mowing to making sure his staff is satisfied, there are no shortcuts to making our field safe and aesthetically pleasing. Paul also hinted that Beaver Stadium might soon be hosting events other than college football games (such as the NHL Winter Classic). Even if this is just speculation, it would be a historic task for our staff, one that Paul thinks we are ready for. As requested by Joe Paterno, Beaver Stadium has ONLY played host to college football. It could be the end of an era and a movement into a new market and the ticket to a free re-sodding! On behalf of the Turf Club, I would like to thank Paul for taking the time out of his busy schedule to come and meet with us. Thanks Paul!

Happy in Happy Valley

GCSAA 2014 President Keith Ihms, CGCS (left), and David Plaster, North American sales manager, John Deere Golf (second from right), present the Turf Bowl’s top prize to Penn State students (left to right) Alexander Bonini, Kyle Patterson, Bill Ellinger and Chris Marra and their advisor, Dr. Ben McGraw (far right).

Officially, The Pennsylvania State University is located in State College, Pa., but, to many, Penn State is in Happy Valley. For the university’s turf club, on the final evening of the Golf Industry Show, Happy Valley was in San Antonio, Texas. At the GIS Closing Celebration, Penn State students learned they had won GCSAA’s Annual Collegiate Turf Bowl competition, presented in partnership with John Deere Golf. In addition, they had also taken third and ninth place, and their fourth team came in at a not-too-shabby 13 out of 69 teams made up of 252 students from 33 different schools.

Texas has been good to Penn State. The last time the school took first place in the Turf Bowl was in Dallas in 2001. In the early years before team competition, Penn State garnered first place in 1998 and second place in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Since that time, the school has appeared frequently in the top 10, but the top prize had eluded them for 14 years. Only Iowa State in 2006 and Purdue in 2009 have duplicated Penn State’s feat of winning first place and taking two additional spots in the top 10.

The advisor to Penn State’s team is new faculty member and associate professor of turfgrass science Ben McGraw, Ph.D., an entomologist who came to State College in August 2014.

“These kids blow me away with their ability in the classroom,” he says.

The secret to taking the Turf Bowl by storm? “The moons aligned,” says McGraw. “Basically, we have some really, really smart students. If you can recruit super-intelligent kids who will work really hard, they can win.”

With three teams in the top 10, the students pocketed $5,300, which their advisor says will go toward speakers for the turf club and, possibly, a trip or trips for the students.

McGraw confesses to having had a serious case of nerves when the winning teams were being announced. “I was way more nervous than any of the students. It’s like the birth of your kids. As a dad, you can’t do anything, you can’t have the baby. As their advisor, you can’t take the test for them. I wanted the win for them — not for the glory, but because they had worked so hard. It’s all them.” The members of the winning team are Chris Marra, William Ellinger, Kyle Patterson and Alexander Bonini. Besides basking in the glory, taking home the traveling Turf Bowl trophy and earning cash for their turf club, the students will have an opportunity to volunteer at The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in May.

The University of Guelph won the GCSAA Collegiate Spirit Award and $500 by posting more than 2,200 tweets during the Turf Bowl Tweet Rally, Jan. 29-Feb. 25.Articl from : http://www.gcsaa.org/gcm-magazine/2015/april/gis-lights-up-san-antonio

The Penn State Turf Club would like to thank all who donated to the club this past year. The club has received donations from the following individuals; Turf Equipment and Supply Company, Baltusrol Golf Club, Mark and Janet Kuhns, Wendell and Linda Boyd, and David Guerin of G.H Griffith Inc. The Turf Club appreciates your donation and commitment to continuing education in the turfgrass management field.

With a growing concern in the Turfgrass industry over water management and usage the Penn State Turf Club has Chosen Dr. Phillip Watson and Dawn Thilmany's article titled "Water-use efficiency in golf" for the 2011 Article of the Year. The article appeared in the June 2011 issue of GCM magazine and was chosen because of its relevance to the industry today. Turf Club members felt that it accurately presented the facts about water consumption on golf courses and gave facts to the reader rather than myths. The Penn State Turf Club would like to congratulate Dr. Phillip Watson and Dawn Thilmany on their outstanding work and look forward to more publishings in the future.

Mark D. Kuhns, CGCS, recently completed his term as GCSAA’s 73rd past president at the association’s annual meeting in Orlando.

Mr. Kuhns, has been the director of grounds at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield , N.J., since 1999. Previously, he was golf course superintendent at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club; Laurel Valley Golf Club in Ligonier, Pa.; and Ligonier Country Club.

He is a member of the Mountain & Valley GCSA, the Greater Pittsburgh GCSA, the GCSA of New Jersey, and is a past president of the Mountain & Valley GCSA. He is a director of the O.J. Noer Turfgrass Research Foundation and a past director of the Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council. He serves as secretary/treasurer for Pennsylvania Turfgrass Research Inc., and is a past member of the Penn State University Agronomy Advisory Council.

Mr. Kuhns’ resume includes extensive major championship experience. He has hosted the 1989 U.S. Senior Open at Laurel Valley Golf Club; the 1992 U.S. Women’s Open and the 1994 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club; the 2000 U.S. Men’s Amateur; the 2005 PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club and will host the 2016 PGA Championship at Baltusrol.

A native of Ligonier, Pa., Mr. Kuhns graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural science. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Mark Kuhns.